×

Fed proposes to establish limited payment accounts

By Thomson Reuters May 20, 2026 | 3:02 PM

By Pete Schroeder

WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Reserve proposed Wednesday ​adopting a new, ‌more limited form of a payment account that would allow firms like fintechs ‌the ​ability to move ⁠money across the ⁠Fed’s payment rails without enjoying all the backstops available to traditional banks.

In ​a statement, the Fed said the proposed ⁠accounts would ⁠not include access ​to intraday credit or the ​Fed’s discount window, nor ‌would firms earn interest on reserves held at the Fed. The proposal ⁠stems from earlier work the Fed did exploring the slimmed ⁠down ‌accounts, as it ⁠explores ways to ​balance ‌granting more firms access ​to ⁠its payments infrastructure without injecting undue risk into the financial system.

(Reporting by Pete Schroeder, Editing by Franklin ​Paul)